Song:All That Jazz
Album:Chicago: Original Cast Album
Chita Rivera has been one of Broadway's top performers since the 50s. She has been in several hit shows including the 1975 musical Chicago. And All That Jazz is probably one of her signature songs. She has done films and TV but is primarily known for musical theater. She was born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Jan. 23, 1933 in Washington, DC. Her dad was a clarinet and sax player for United States Navy Band. When he died when she was seven, her mom worked at The Pentagon. Chita started ballet lessons at age 11 and then successfully auditioned and received a scholarship to the American School of Ballet in New York. She switched to musical theater and appeared in the chorus in several shows. In 1955, she was featured in Shoestring Revue, Seventh Heaven and then Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis Jr. But her big break came as Anita in the original Broadway production of West Side Story. Of course it was one of the biggest shows in history. Instead of appearing in the film of West Side Story, Chita had her next big Broadway hit starring with Dick Van Dyke in the original Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie. Some of her shows after that didn't do that well. So she moved to Los Angeles and dabbled in recording and acting. She was a regular in Dick Van Dyke's 1973 sitcom. In 1975, she returned to New York for a featured role as Velma Kelly in Chicago. Chicago is based on a 1926 play by Maurine Dallas Watkins about a murder trial. Gwen Verdon suggested to her husband Bob Fosse that it might be a good musical. They got the rights and John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote the music. Fosse designed it as a showcase for Verdon but Chita Rivera had the showier role and her performance of All That Jazz is a classic. Sony Masterworks released the Broadway cast album on CD in 2009. Chicago has been revived several times and was turned into a film a few years ago. Of course Chita Rivera has done other shows and continues to tour the supper club circuit today. She is a legend of musical theater. Here's Chita Rivera performing All That Jazz along with an interview on The Merv Griffin Show in Las Vegas 1976.
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